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P. J. KHOLL. ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED Nov. 5, 191?.

1 ,306, 1 5 I Pafvnted June 10, 1919.

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P 1. KROLL. ELECTROLYHU APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-5,1911.

Patented J um? 10, 1919.

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P. J. KROLL.

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS.

APPLICAIION mu NOV. 5. I917.

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PHILIP-J. meats rm ageasmnsn ma, I 1.:

. To all whom it may concern residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of' Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, have invented or Be 'it knoWnthat I, PHILIP J.

discovered-certain new and use-fullmprovements in.iElectrolytic Apparatus, of which improvement the following is a specifica- My, invention relates toelectrolytic apparatus,.and has'particularly to do with diaphragm electrolytic apparatus,.and has particularly to do with diaphragm electrolytic apparatus for the purpose of decomposing water to produce oxygen and hydrogen gases. a I

My object is to provide an apparatus for thispnrpose'which will be simple in construction and particularly eflicient and cffective inoperation. A further object is to rovide such apparatus'with means for hunting the pressure on each side of the tional view to enlarged scale of a portion.

' of the cell; Fig.'7-;a combined vertical cenwashing the paratus.

diaphragm, and! with improved means for gases generated within the ap-' In the 'accompanyinghheets of drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiinent of my invention, Figure '1 is a s'ideview of an electrolytiecell, portions of the casing thereof being broken away to showthe' interior construction Fig. 2 a

plan View of an. electrolytic apparatus comprising two cells ofthe character shown in'Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a side view of theapparatus shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a sectional view of but'one cell taken on the plane indicated by the broken line IV-IV, Fig. 2, the side plates, or electrodes and diaphragm parts. being separated to more *clearly illustrate the constru'ction; Fig. 5a sectional view to enlargedtiscale of the gas-washing apparatus, such sectioff'beiffg taken on the line T -V, Fig.2; Fig. 6 a combined side View of the pressure limiting gas-washing apparatus shown in Fig.' 5 and detached sectral sectionalview' of the water feeder and face-view ofaportion. of the lower edge of the-"cell; a'ndFig. 8- adetached plan View showmg a detail of'construction to which reference is made hereinafter. I My invention ,may die convenlently deby explaining separately the three.

main-features thereof,-namely, the construction of the cell including the electrodes specification of Patent mi 11 i Patented J line 10, 1919.

' a ucafionmeanovembe s,1917. 'seriaina aodais.

of electrolytic cell may be used, I preferablyprovide a cell comprisin two plate electrodes, 1 and 2, which for slmplieity of construction are structurally identical. Thus thesame molds may be used for casting each of these plates. The cathode plate is preferably made of iron or at least has an iron inner face, while the inner face of the anode is preferably of any non-corrosive metal. The inner faces of bothplat'es 1 and 2 may in the usual or any desired manner he provided with suitable projections or. corrugations for the purpose of increasing'the surface area thereof.

, Between the electrode plates 1 and 2 there is clamped a diaphragm which forms with of asbestos or other suitable material perme-v able to the electrolyte, but through which the gases generated in'the electrolyte compartments will not pass. stretched over and secured to a rigid frame 4 of the same shape as the outer edges of the plates 1 and 2. Surrounding the frame 4 there is peripheral frame 35 adapted to prevent the escape from the cell of the electro-' lyte by reason of the capillary action of the diaphragm upon the electrolyte. The frame 35 may be made of hard rubber, steel or other rigid material. At each side of the frame 35 there is an insulating frame 5' of the same shape as the frame 35. The several frames are held in position within the cell b means of clamping members, such as the lts 36 for attaching the plates 1 and 2 of each cell to each other. If desired, each plate may have a foot 39 connected to it by means of an electrically insulated joint, each foot'having-a glass base 40. It will be observed of the specific cell constructionthus far described that it may be easily assembled and may beas readily disassembled, when necessary for purposes of cleaning or repair.

The cell may be used singly or" several cells may sbe' combined into a single'electrolytic apparatus?" When'socombined tlieapparatus consistsof a plurality of" bi-polar cells, each cell or unit being connected to the adj acent cell Without an intervening neutral,

This diaphragmis The mechanical or structural connection'o'f adjacent cells to eachother is preferably of such acharacter that it affords electrical continuity from the anode plate of one cell to I the cathode of the adjacent cell. .While various means may be provided for thus connecting the cells to each other, each electrode plate 1s, as particularly indicated in Fig. 8, preferably provided at its central portion with a laterally projecting Wedge-shaped lug 6, and a pair of recessed clamping bars '1 are placed one on. each side of-the adjacent contacting lugs, and brought into firm wedgengagement therewith, as by means ofin suitable bolts 8. Thus, each cell may be separately assembled, and in assembled form be readily connected to another assembled cell, the mechanical connection afiord'ing good electrical conductivity between adacent cell plates.

7 Turning now to the second feature of my invention, which has to do. with feeding v p by returnin the gas-was ing chamber, these electrolyte water to the electrolyte compartments of the cell, the water is preferably fed to the bottom of each compartment by means of communicating. conduits so constructed that the gas generated in one cannot other compartment.

In the illustrative embodiment of this feature of my invention, the bottom portion of each plate 1 and 2 is provided with a pass into the water inlet supply port 9 which port com' municates with a downwardl extending passageway 10 formed integral y with such plates. A U-sh aped conduit 12 is mechanically connected at one end to thelower end of each passageway 10, the other ends of these U-shaped conduits combine at their upwardlyextending ends into a single con- .duit 13, it being observed that the adjacent U-shaped conduits are separated by means of a yertically extending baffle 14. The single conduit portion 15 is connected to a single vertically disposed conduit 15 to the upper end of which is attached a suitable reservoir 16 for supplying water. By this arrangement, feed water may be placed in the reservoir 16 and, flowing through the conduit 15, be'divided into two streams by the battle 14, which streams flow through the U-shaped conduits 12 and passageways 10v into the electrolyte chambers formed on op posite sides of the diaphragm 3-. If, by

reason of some abnormal exterior condition,

the pressure within gne electrolyte chamber becomes materially greater than that in the other, with the result that the electrolyte from the high pressure chamber is forced' therefrom into the low pressure electrolyte chamber, the. gas generated within one chamber cannot, by reason of the bafiie plate 14,-pass into the other chamber. With reto this, it will-be understood that. such ingtaken up by the washing fluid {ally increases the volume, v thereof. a The gas as' may be carried with the electrolyte as it. flows from one toward the other compartment, ,will be vented-into the conduit 15 and reservoir 16 which is'bpen to the atmosphere.

Coming now to .the third feature ofmy lIlVBntlOIl, namely, the means for washing the gas generated by and within the electroly'tic cell, means are provided whereby an excess volume of the washing-fluid may be carried to the electrolyte chambers of the cell. With respect'to this, it will be under-' moisture or foam thus deposited in the washing fluid contains appreciable amounts of whatever substance may be mixed with the water in the cell to render such Water conduetive, such, substance for example being acid or a base such as soda orpotash. Thus thisexcessvolum'e of water in substances are conserved.

In the illustrative-embodiment of this feature of myinvention, th'e'uppei' portion of each plate land 2 isprovided with a port. 17, through which gas passes..from the electrolyte. chamber, and With a port 18 through which excess washing water may be returned thereto. A gas-washing casing 1.9,};provided with ports 37 and 38, is secured to each plate 1 and 2, the ports 37 and 38 registering, re-- spectively, with the ports'17 and 18', a suitable insulation gasket being placed between the plates and the casing.

l Referring particularly to Figs. 5 and 6,

the casing 19 maybe provided with. a pas sageway 21 in which, if desired, there may be J arranged a plurality of baffle plates22 for ,eflecting a partial separation of the gas from the foam or moisture carried thereby. Communicating with the upper-portion of the passageway 21 there is a passageway adapted to carry the gases dgwnwardlyjfl 1 within the bodyv of washing fluid 24, which is preferably water.. The body of water 24 iscontained Within communicating chambers formed by a partition 25 projecting down- Wardly from the top of the casing to a point adjacent the bottom thereof. The gases, after passing through the body of water 24, flow upwardly through the passageway .26 formed in the casing and from thence to a. suitable bell or other container not shown herein, the construction of Which is well understood by those skilled in the art. The upper end of the chamber 27-,-- which also contains water in communication with the body 24- thereof, is preferably exposed toatmo heri'cpressure so that the level of the water m thechamber; 27 is abovelthat of the body eeann reaches the top of a partition 28, over'which partition it may flow into a passageway 29 and from thence through a trap 3'0 and ports 38 and 18 into an electrolyte chamber. It

will be observed that the gas washers are identical for the electrolyte compartments of each cell. As a consequence thereof, the pressure of each compa'rtmentof each cell a is independently regulated, such regulation being effective by reason of the fact that each compartment is, through'ports 18 and.

38, trap 30 and passageway29, exposed to the atmosphere.

Since the operations of the several features of my invention have been severally explained in connection with the descriptions thereof, it seems unnecessary to repeat the explanations thereof.

According to the provisions of the patent statute, I have described the principle and operation of my invention, together with the construction which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, I desire to have it understood that my invention may be practised by other forms of construction than that particularly shown and described herein.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electrolytic apparatus, the combination of a plurality of cell units, each including a pair of separate plates forming electrodes, said plates being insulated from each other .and in the assembly of the apparatus being arranged side by side, and means between each pair of adjacent cell units for detachably connecting both structurally and electrically the anode plate of one cell unit to the cathode plate of an adjacent cell unit, whereby each unit may be separately detached from the assembly of units.

7 2. In an electrolytic apparatus, the com-, bination of a pair of cells each including a pair of plate electrodes, the central portions of each plate having laterally projecting lugs formed integrally therewith, and m us for connecting through said lugs a oath de and anode plate to each other, said connection affording electrical continuity between the connected plates.

3. In an electrolytic apparatus, the combination of a pair of cells each includin a pair of separate plates forming electro es, the central portion of each plate having formed integrally therewith a laterally projecting wedge-shaped lug, and a clamp engaging the lugs of a cathode and anode plate.

of each cell.

4. In an electrolytic cell, the combination with a casing provided with a diaphragm separating such casing into two electrolyte compartments, the bottom portion of the casing being provided with fluid supply ports'communicating one with each com- 'partment, a separate electrolyte supply conduit leading downwardly and then upwardly from each of said ports and a single conduit connected to the upwardly turned ends of said two conduits.

' 5. In an electrolytic cell, the combination of a pair of plate electrodes connected to each other, a diaphragm between said plates and forming therewith a pair of electrolyte compartments, the bottom portion of each plate being provided with a fluid supply port, U-shaped conduits each having one end communicating with one of said ports, and a single fluid supply conduit connected to the other upwardl turned ends of said conduits.

6. The comii cell for the decomposition of water, of a gas washer comprisin a casing provided with a partition extent ing from the top to a point adjacent to the bottom thereof and forming with said casing water containing chambers, communicating at their lower ends, said casing being provided with a passageway for carrying gas into the body of water in one of said chambers, and with a second passageway for carrying accumulated excess water from the top of the other of said chambers to the cell.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set PHILIP J KROLL.

my hand.

Witnesses:

PAUL N. Currcrrnow, FRANCES J. TOMASSON.

ination with an'electrolytic- 

